The Christmas Visitor The True Present of Christmas
by RRFerree
Summary: A stand alone story. Slim, Jess and Daisy have planned a special Christmas for Mike but Stage business and a blizzard causes Jess to go missing.


Slim, Jess, Mike and Daisy – Snow – A Birth in a Barn A stand alone story NOT a part of the Sherman Harper SAGA.

Plans have been made for a full Christmas for Mike at the Sherman Ranch but orders from the Stage Company and a blizzard causes Jess to be overdue returning home. No copy write infringement intended.

 **CHAPTER 1: Was the Day before the Night before Christmas**

It was mid-morning the day before Christmas Eve day and everyone from the ranch had come to town for last minute shopping. Daisy just needed "a few more items for recipes" which meant Slim's arms were loaded and he was stacked to the gills with packages looking like the evening shadow behind Jess who was just unloading his armfuls into the buckboard. The buckboard was packed to the hilt with provisions and other "secret" packages. Mike had already been pulled out of one stack at the house with a stern warning not to go snooping before Christmas day but it was hard for an 8 year old. Slim, Jess and Daisy had pretty much figured out Mike had never had a real Christmas with all the good stuff kids remember all their life. So they had promised, or hinted strongly, to Mike that big plans had been made since he'd been a good boy all year. Mike was excited. But it had been extremely cloudy and foreboding for a week with on oncoming massive winter storm and all the old timers were hurting and complaining over old aches and pains. Maybe this year Laramie would have a white Christmas, too.

Jess finished packing his load into the buckboard and turned nearly colliding with Slim who had been walking by memory and his side vision due to his load. They bumped and Jess had to help catch the packages that commenced ejecting from Slim's arms. There wasn't much room left onboard so with an elf-like smirk on his face Jess diverted to just holding and handing Slim his packages making Slim find his own holes left to pack them in.

"Well, don't just stand there, Jess. Find a hole and pack them in." Slim grumbled as he had to bend over and pick up the same package that had ejected off the wagon twice and tried to jam it in somewhere else. He shivered in the cold and boding air as his jacket fell open and his neck scarf came open.

"Hey, I got mine in, you're on your own, Santa!" Jess countered then seeing Slim shiver he did so too in empathy. "'Sides, me and the reindeer did all our shoppin' a month ago." Jess looked up just barely over Slim's head… "When it was still warm! It's you and Daisy jamming up the wagon waitin' this long. Mike and me are gunna hafta ride home all folded up under the seat there." He waved at the bench seat with a small package in his hand he was holding for Slim.

Slim was waving a package in a circle whilst looking for a hole and Jess pointed to the other side of the buckboard.

" 'Er's a 5" hole yonder that'd fit that."

Slim gave Jess a disgusted look and handed him the package to go fit it but Jess just backed up out of the way with a huge smile. So with one corner of his mouth tucked in Slim walked around the buckboard looking on the other side.

"Under the flour sack." Jess hollered. He'd found a spot out of the wind and wasn't moving.

Slim found the hole and jammed the package in.

"I know. You could do worse. We're still working on getting Mike that special Christmas he's never had and Daisy's list of things Mike has mentioned he wants keeps growing. Plus she's baking all kinds of things, 'nough to feed an army. At least under the seat you'll be out of the wind and warmer." Slim got the rest of his packages jamm…nestled in and rejoining Jess he looked up at the sky while he put his coat and scarf back together, shivering one more time. "Sure glad we finished getting the house and the barn all shored up for winter last week. This one's really been building for days."

"Ya, that was cold work….took all week putting shutters up and then finishing in a full loft and stoking it with feed, hay, now the house with food. I think between the two of us we have enough firewood stacked for 3 winters!"

Slim couldn't tell if Jess was complaining at the ax work or proud of his self for the stash. It was one piece of art, too. In late autumn and way out in a pasture near a grove of old trees Jess had found an old, dead sycamore tree and it took two full days to fell it, clean it and cut it down to buckboard bed lengths and then get it hauled to the house. They'd lost count of the trips they made in the wagon hauling all the sections to the house and one whole load of kindling twigs Jess refused to leave on the ground. Then he'd had to sharpen both axes several times as they took turns whittling the tree down to firewood size. But it had been a good size tree with lots of clean, straight branches and was dried perfectly for whacking and Jess even gave Mike his first lesson in chopping wood. Slim had given Mike the official "ax safety lesson" several weeks before and Jess was busy teaching Mike angles and using his legs for leverage and to power the down stroke. Mike did good, he just didn't have the height or endurance yet so he went back to his job of piling since he was closest to the ground and Jess had instructed Mike how to build a free standing stack. They'd stacked wood ground to roof along the entire side of the house facing the barn plus had crisscross stacked wood enclosing two sides of the front door porch and along the front of the house leaving a path up next to the house to the front kitchen door and enclosed around that door as well. The two temporary porches being enclosed had impressed Slim so much he was considering doing something more permanent, at least half way high. That is once weather warmed up in the spring. Before they worked on the tree they'd spent three weeks putting down a layer of some new stuff called felt and then a second layer of roof boards on both the barn and the house and painted both roofs so both of men were pretty well spent on outdoor construction jobs for now. Plus they were very tired and looking forward to several days off.

"Was a good idea you had lining hay bales inside along the doors and floor of the barn, too. That barn's never felt so tight in my whole life." Slim offered a rare compliment but both men were dancing side to side, pulling their hats lower and rubbing their gloved hands together. "Wonder what's keeping Daisy?" Slim glanced back at the market door.

"I dunno, but she's gunna hafta just hold it in her lap 'cause ain't nothing else will fit in that wagon!"

Jess frowned briefly because he could see Bill, the wire guy, step out of telegraph/stage office down the road a bit and pull the door closed behind him. An extra chill went up Jess' spine with a disheartening thought and he turned to head back into the market store hoping Bill wasn't coming their way. The last thing any of them wanted was some odd event moving in and utterly destroying all the plans they had made for a nice, quiet and warm Christmas for Mike and two whole days of nothing to do but rest, eat and sleep. The key words were warm and quiet….and rest. They were past ready for some rest. Maybe if he disappeared Bill would be headed to someone else. Slim saw Jess head for a warm place and not to be left standing out in the cold alone quickly followed on his heels. He had to dance slightly to keep from running over Jess who had grabbed the door knob and could feel the taller man towering over his head. Jess stopped and looked up and behind him with a look of disdain. Jess' stop nearly causing Slim to run him over and Jess stepped aside and with a half bow gesturing a sweeping hand invited Slim to pass him.

"Short stuff…..can't you move any faster?" Slim muttered as he passed Jess who held the door open.

"Eh! They may be short but at least they both reach the ground." Jess chomped back as he folded his chin up like a drawbridge.

Just past Jess, Slim shot a quick look down at Jess' boots and mumbled a tease with a frozen smile, "You're sure about that?"

Jess shook his head with a grin and flicked Slim's back with the back tips of his fingers, "Ya, last I checked when I put my boots on this mornin'. Maybe you could reach them long arms up in the clouds and see how deep they are, how much snow we're gunna get."

Slim chuckled and something on a counter grabbed his attention so he picked it up being tantalized by its possibilities….maybe a self gift.

Inside the store Daisy was staring at some more toys Mike was pointing to on a shelf too high for him to reach and her hand was on her chin considering another purchase to appease the pleading look of the small boy. It was Christmas and her resistance to the pleas of small people was quite low.

"But, Ms. Daisy….." Mike started in trying to enhance his justification for the need of what he was pointing at.

Jess walked up behind them seeing what was happening and he rubbed Mike's head playfully through the hat on his head. "Hey, Tiger! We're all loaded."

"But, Jess, I…need….." Mike was pointing to the item on the shelf.

Jess didn't even look and just hovered down around Mike with his face near Mike's cheek and reeling in the desires of a youngster gathered Mike's arms to his body and enclosed him in a full hug from behind squeezing him affectionately and blowing playfully into his ear.

"Aw…Jess!" Mike shivered at the usual goosebumps, bent his head toward Jess and leaned back into him.

"That wagon's so loaded now you and me will be huddled up under the bench and I need at least 2 inches for my knees ya know. Ain't room for nothing else unless Ms. Daisy's gunna hold it in her lap all the way home." Still hugging Mike but more loosely Jess winked at Daisy and she instantly made the executive decision.

"I think we've got enough, Mike. Your birthday's not too awful far from now anyway." She patted Mike on the shoulder compassionately and turned to finish the paperwork with the clerk.

Rolling his eyes Slim slid his curiosity inspection back onto the counter where he'd found it re-realizing they didn't have room for any more in the wagon and if they told Mike "no" it wasn't fair for Slim to add anything. Mike's shoulders immediately fell not even trying to catch his chin that dropped just as fast and he looked down to the floor and squirmed his way loose from Jess' bear hug.

"Aw…it'll be alright, Tiger. 'Sides it's not how many presents you get, it's just being together and having a family at Christmas making memories. 'At's the real gift. Some kids don't have a family or a home and there are even adults who live with no roof over their heads and so hungry they could eat cardboard." Jess grabbed and waved the empty bolt of some long gone yard goods that was still sitting on the floor as waste and then trying to console him chucking the front edge of his fist across Mike's cheek trying to break open a smile.

The door behind where Slim was standing next to the pot belly stove opened and closed fast ringing the overhead bell and the wind that snuck through with him ruffled the stuff on the counter just inside the door. Slim turned to see Bill. Jess' heart fluttered again and he edged up to the two men to hear what was about to be announced and Mike followed being trapped under Jess' big hand over his shoulders. He'd positioned Mike in front of his legs and was walking Mike matching him stride for stride propelling Mike forward and keeping him involved. The hat was sliding off Mike's head and with his other hand Jess had grabbed it mid-air and was mashing it back on Mike's slippery blond hair but half covering Mike's eyes causing Mike to giggle.

From her place at the counter and waiting on the clerk to finish his tally Daisy watched Jess' contact with Mike and smiled at the warmth between them. She'd had her doubts about Jess when they'd first met because he was such a handsome young man with disarming charm and in her experiences back east those types are often spoiled rotten thus not deep or reliable. But the longer she'd come to know Jess and especially watching him with kids, her opinion of him had been turned 180 degrees for the better because she could see a natural, deep caring for other people. Slim was great with kids, too, but with Mike he seemed to be more of the authority, father figure as the home owner, or maybe it was just his towering height often picking Mike up like a big bag of flour which always thrilled Mike. But in many ways, especially when around kids, Jess was like a very tall kid himself only wiser due to his age and thus more protective. More than once with complete disregard to decorum Jess had chased and tackled Mike, generally over obstacles like furniture or fences or hay bales, and they'd end up in a faux wrestle or tickling match leaving both of them out of breath on the floor. One time when Mike was running away from a bath call, she watched Jess lasso Mike out in the yard then run up to him, effortlessly pick him up by both legs and one arm and hog tie him with the lariat like he was roping a steer at a rodeo. Mike laughed so hard at that one he cried tears and Jess threw his hands up, brushed them together and started to walk off headed back to Traveler who was tied to the corral. Then two steps away Jess turned on his heel, went back to Mike and started tickling his ribs making Mike laugh even harder and still hog tied, Jess picked him up and put him over his shoulders and hauled the laughing boy to his bedroom where the tub was waiting. She'd never heard a child laugh so hard in sheer glee and utter abandonment. Another time Mike laughed so hard he got the hiccups. Those hiccups became too hard starting the tears and Jess lightly tossed a small bucket full of cold water on Mike startling him and the hiccups stopped. She had to hold her breath when Jess would take after Mike inside the house with everything being fair game as part of the obstacle course. Surely something would fall or get knocked over and break. But it never failed to amaze her no matter how fast or rough they played, things would get knocked over but still locked on to Mike Jess would invariably catch them mid-air and reseat them before his feet even landed. They weren't reseated in their original place, but tossed onto the sofa or placed on the table unbroken. And although in boots, you couldn't feel or hear Jess' feet hit the ground. You could hear Mike's, but not Jess' and he was bigger and heavier. One time Slim had inadvertently stepped into their path and had gotten tackled. Slim played along but then sent both Mike and Jess to different corners of the living room to "cool off" in a scolding about house manners. Jess' eyebrows were peaked in the middle like he'd been caught red handed in the cookie jar. She'd seen that look many times having caught Jess absconding with a piece of her cooling apple pies with his fingers. All three of them were barely able to hold a straight face and once Slim left the room Jess and Mike were sneaking peaks at each other and laughing the whole time. Jess could always, always break a mood in Mike and if there was something really bothering him, it was Jess that Tiger went to first. It was like Jess was part Dad and part big brother to Mike so watching Jess interact with him always brought her a smile. And she was delighted that Jess had Mike in his life to help balance him from the other side as a short fused, hot tempered, fast gun and tenacious survivalist. With Jess, she'd found, it was all fierce and intense or abandoned merriment. He was stirring the pot or sound asleep. A most remarkable man.

Bill started in to business, "I thought I saw you two over here."

"Hey, Bill, Merry Christmas!" Slim offered with a smile in the spirit of the holiday.

"I don't think you're going be too merry after you get this." Bill's face was frozen either in cold or unhappiness as he handed the wire to Slim.

Slim's shoulders sank just as far as Mike's had. "Oh, no. Now what?" He held the wire without opening it and stared at Bill's face.

Jess looked down and just shook his head…he was right. Bill gestured to the wire and Slim opened it and read it sinking further. He looked over at Jess and folded the wire. Daisy saw the meeting and joined them with growing alarm.

"Will I get back in time for Christmas?" Jess asked in a raspy voice and arched eyebrows.

"I'll toss you for it." Slim offered.

"Naw. You can't go this close to a storm. Somethin' happen to you the ranch will foreclose and we'd all be out in a drift. Where am I going?" Jess spoke with a quiet firmness. He reached to snatch the piece of paper but Slim pulled it out of his reach with a smirk. Slim's heart was reluctant to turn it over to Jess or to acknowledge Jess was correct about him saddled with the responsibility holding down the fort at home especially in this kind of weather.

"Jackson was due to take the stage on into Cheyenne today but his wife came down sick overnight. They got a toddler you know and no other family around here. Bill just got a wire from the Overland. A manager and his family there still needs a ride here in time for Christmas to meet his relatives coming down from Billings. Somebody's got to stay with Jackson's kid until the wife gets well so he can't go."

"Jackson leave the stage at the livery over night?" Already busy breaking down the job Jess asked Bill who nodded yes.

"Well, I'll just head to Cheyenne. Can get there by nightfall. Tomorrow mornin' pick up Mr. Biggy and his peoples and get back here before the weather breaks and in time for Christmas Eve. Empty stage, don't even need a shotgun." Jess was planning out loud. "Should make good time."

"Aah, no!" Daisy was not happy either.

"You can't go, Jess!" Mike was nearly screaming. "It'll ruin Christmas ….. again."

Slim squatted down in front of Mike while Jess still had his hand on Mike's back.

"Sorry, Mike, but the Stage line is a job and we're responsible to get passengers through."

"Especially bosses, Tiger." Jess added.

"I don't care!" Mike retorted.

"Well, somebody needs to care. The money we earn from the stage line puts food on the table and is making the Christmas you've been dreamin' about." Slim taught patiently.

""Sides, Tiger, I just have to go to Cheyenne and back. That won't take long. Be back before you know it. Should be about noon tomorrow in time for Christmas." Jess was squeezing Mike's shoulder gently but Mike's lower lip just stuck out further and he brushed Jess' hand off and disappeared somewhere into the store leaving Jess with arched eyebrows watching him.

"I'll get it done, Bill. Thanks." Slim offered releasing Bill. "Send them a wire Jess is headed that way."

"Ok, Slim. Hope he gets through before the storm. Broadcast wire came in from North Platte saying it's a front range up slope coming from the east." Bill went on through the door.

Slim, Jess and Daisy looked at each other with disappointment.

"Aah, you'd think these executives could plan their schedules better." Daisy complained.

"They can't help the weather, Daisy." Jess offered. "Or sick kids."

"Ya, well I don't envy you. Going up over the pass to Cheyenne's gunna be cold and if that snow's already hit the elevation, you'd just better turn around and come back."

"I'll make it, Slim."

"I'm serious, Jess, you hit that snow line, I want you to turn around and that's an order. Mr. Stage line will just have to wait on the weather. There's just so much we can do out here."

"I best go get the horses hooked up and get, better chance of getting back. I should be able to make Cheyenne before dark and come back in the morning." Jess was busy refolding his scarf and closing up his coat. "Don't look so worried, Pard. 'Is is me….I'll get back."

"Ya, you. That's exactly what makes me worried." Slim wasn't joking but Jess smiled anyway, popped Slim on the side of his arm and turned around looking for Mike.

"Hey, Tiger!"

There was no answer and just barely audible were some sniffling sounds off in some corner of the store.

"Tiger?" Jess called softer saddened by Mike's silence.

"Don't worry, Jess, I'll keep him busy. Just be careful out there." Daisy admonished.

"Yes 'um." Jess pulled his hat low and scooted through the door leaving Slim and Daisy staring at each other.

The rest of the afternoon and evening hung in silence matching the darkening sky and overcast growing thicker as the bottom of the thermometer dropped. Buried under a heavy quilt Mike rode under the bench going home, Slim and Daisy froze riding the bench and while Slim and a reluctant Mike unloaded the wagon it began snowing lightly. They were big flakes but scattered and the wind ominously stopped blowing much like a cow going into labor preparing to start the big push. Sheriff Corey showed up just before supper and Slim spoke to Daisy as he headed to answer the door since he was closest and camped out backed up to the fireplace trying to thaw from the day.

"Think I'll turn in early Daisy. Tired. This cold sure takes it out of ya." He yawned so huge his eyelids jammed shut for several seconds before he could open them and reached the door by memory but jammed his fingers into the door knob and had to shake them out. "ow!"

"I think that's a good idea, Slim. Tomorrow's got to look better." Daisy responded.

"Come in, Mort."

"Say, that's quite a fort you got built out there in firewood. You boys expecting snow?" Mort smiled openly at his own joke and Slim chuckled.

"Ya, Jess found a big old, dead tree was just right for working out his frustrations."

"Jess? With frustrations?" Mort inquired with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

"Ya, cold weather keeping him pent up inside. It's like this puppy dog that wears ya out constantly bringing you his ball for you to throw. You know how he's always stirring something up out there."

"Ya." Mort chuckled.

"Try corralling that inside a house."

"Send him on over. Could use a beaver at my house."

"Had supper? Just getting ready to sit down." Slim offered.

"No, I'm sorry, Slim. I can't stay. Last stage came in just a bit ago said they'd left Cheyenne at dawn this morning and was being overtaken by the blizzard coming west. They reported an overturned stage just this side of the pass but couldn't find any horses, tracks and no people on board. Said it looked like a wheel had come off and flipped the stage over. There was too much snow up there they couldn't find anybody on the ground either. Then Bill came to my office with a wire from the stage office in Cheyenne wondering why Jess hadn't shown up yet. They expected him by late afternoon wanting to know if he'd gotten snowed in over here. They've put a stop on all stage routes until this thing blows over and I'm headed down the line telling everyone to hunker down. Jess did get off this morning, didn't he?" Mort pushed his hat up on his brow.

"Ya, left right after Bill got the first wire. He should be there by now and was gunna spend the night and head back in the morning." Slim's heart was sinking. He knew it. Jess ran into the leading edge of the blizzard and didn't turn around, now he's …. That pass is over 8000 feet and snow gets 4 to 5 feet deep in places between here and Cheyenne. Slim started pacing as Daisy came into the room having overheard their conversation. Mike was behind Daisy and his face was…well….it was not pleasant. Daisy brought Mort a cup of hot coffee and the tension in his face broke into a smile as he accepted it and immediately began sipping.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cooper. I'll get a search party together, Slim, if you want to go." Mort offered with a worried look on his face too.

"I told Jess to turn around….." Slim fumed and did a 360 turn while slapping the mantle. "Ordered him!"

"Ya and we all know Jess." Mort had his other hand fisted and on his hip.

"Did the southbound from Billings make it in?" Slim checked.

"No they got stopped up near Casper. Not much moving out there, Slim. Can just feel it fixing to cut loose."

"I don't want to get a bunch of people out in this weather, away from their families and a holiday, too. And it's getting dark now." Slim was rubbing his forehead trying to convince himself. "Jess knew what he was facing and he's survived a lot of things, he'll hunker down somewhere. Maybe he made it to a ranch house nearby and is all tucked in. If they didn't find anyone in the stage wreck that means he got out. If he's not hunkered inside the stage, he's figured a way to get to shelter. Maybe he rode the team somewheres since they didn't find any horses either. Bill staying at the wire office?"

"He was going to stay until noon tomorrow unless it got really heavy tonight. So we're not going?"

"I just can't justify it, Mort. I want to find Jess, know he's ok and all, but he's a survivor and I'd be putting even more people at risk than I've already done with Jess."

"Well, I've got one more station to contact then you know where to find me if you change your mind." Mort swallowed up the rest of his coffee and handed the cup back to Slim.

"You'll be the first, Mort. Get inside and safe."

Slim escorted Mort to the door but closed it before Mort had time to ride off. He was met with the scowling look of an angry 8 year old boy standing in the middle of the living room who was half red in wrath and half sobbing in anguish and fully lit up in accusation.

"Tiger…. I …" Slim started.

"How could you just leave Jess out there dying in the cold, hurt or even dead! I hate you, I hate you!" Mike turned in an all out sob and ran to his room slamming the door closed so hard the nearest picture ejected off the wall and fell to the floor.

Slim looked at Daisy with a raised forehead and questions in his face. "Was I right? It's already dark out there…..and snowing!"

"I understand, Slim. Probably not a right or wrong answer for this. It's hard, I know. I have to consider what Jess would do if he were in your boots." Daisy was wiping her hands on her apron then took the coffee cup from Slim. "You're probably the only person who knows him better than anyone else, what he would do where he's at, and what he would do in your position. I can't answer that question."

"I do know Jess gets into problems but he's so doggone stubborn he finds his way out, and I do know he wouldn't want to ask people risking their families to come after him, he doesn't expect it from people either. I can't leave, like he said, something happens to me, the ranch will foreclose and you and Mike will be homeless. Got a whole barn full of animals. Something breaks down – who'd fix it? Maybe this storm is all blow and will be out of here by morning, too." Slim sat down hard with a thud on one of the dining room chairs and rubbed his face with his hands exhausted by weeks of being outside in the cold working on winterization projects. "If anyone can rough out a blizzard, it's Jess." Slim mumbled under his hands still rubbing his burning eyes. "Seen him start a fire with just two weeds." A moment or two later, "Dadgummit, Jess!"

Daisy went back to the stove to stir supper and 15 or so minutes later when she came back to set the table, she checked on Slim but his head was down on his crossed arms and he was out cold. She knew Slim only meant to rest his head a moment or two but had instead passed out exhausted. So shaking her head realizing nothing is as exhausting as being in the cold all day, she grabbed a blanket and covered him. She tried to get Mike to eat but he was glued to a corner of his room in a tantrum. So she ate a small portion of her supper, cleaned the kitchen, stoked the fireplace, lowered the lanterns and went to her room.

 **CHAPTER 2: Whiter than White Christmas**

Jess startled at some noise but it was gone by the time he got his head up and rubbed his eyes open. He started to get up but got immediately pulled back down by pain shooting through his body so he slowed down trying to recount what had just happened and where the hey was he? Why was it so dadgum cold? He reached for his hat sitting on the ground next to him and jammed it on his head thank full it was brim side down and not full of snow. Well, rather than trying to get up maybe rolling over would work better….and it did. Still hurt but at least …. Ow. OW! Ok, right shoulder… Looking up he noticed the sky was still daylight but it was so heavy in clouds it could have been dark enough to be evening. And it was snowing hard with small flakes and heavy wind. It was the kind of blowing snow that if it went in your face it felt like you were being smothered. Jess rolled up kinda sideways getting onto his right hip, well, bum. It's hard to sit on a hip with a loaded holster. Left knee is screaming fierce. Squinting hard against the snow was the shadow of something….ok…that's a stage coach on its side. Hmmm, no horses. That's never good. At least 4 bodies aren't laying in a twisted harness not breathing, or fighting to stand up on broken legs. Never had to shoot a horse yet, and didn't want to start. Alright, that's it. Was driving the stage to Cheyenne trying to beat this daggone snow, remember hitting a chuck hole and then the whole stage pitched like a raw bronc. Musta landed on my head… ...(chuckle) well, that saved my life….hard headed. Hadn't quite made the pass summit which would be close to 8000 feet high and ran smack into this snow like a door opened up, or like suddenly finding oneself facing an oncoming stampede of animals. "!"

Moving much slower than usual due to the screaming body parts and being numb with cold and snow blowing hard in his face, Jess managed to crawl[RF1] out from under the pine tree lower limbs and over to the stage and use it to pull himself to a stand, or mostly a stand. The left knee must have twisted and it was screaming and hot both to touch and from inside and his right shoulder to his elbow was screaming just as hard but had some limited movement. Not much strength but at least it moved. Thankfully he was still wrapped up in his heavy winter coat, scarf, gloves and his hat was jammed on tight enough it didn't get far from his head. As he pulled his self up the stage began to crumble like some heavy monster had sat on it and would make a nice bon fire, but in this wind making a fire would be impossible and would burn the stage wood as supply faster than a race horse. Jess picked through the rubble and found a long piece of wood strong enough to limp with. He'd left Laramie before noon and had not quite reached the pass, it was still daylight but fading fast in the overcast and wear of the day. Jess lightly shook his head and held his temples trying to get some of the fuzz in his brain to clear. The priority now was to find shelter and before dark. If this was the start of a blizzard at 8000 feet, he couldn't stay here in a stage crumbling into a pile of wood. So gathering the few blankets from the back of the stage and wrapping them around his head and then around his body Jess headed back to where the road had to be. If he could find the road he could get his bearing against the wind and turn back for Laramie. The wind from a front range up slope would be from the east and he'd need to keep that to his back.

It was a slight uphill climb from the crash site, maybe 20 feet or so to the road, but he made it before the snow depth had completely obscured the road. This area had a pretty well maintained grading and the powers that run the roads had planted some snow fencing along the sides of the road spaced 10 or so feet apart lining the road so that helped Jess get his bearing. He began walking, well more like gimping back toward the direction of Laramie but tried to use some of the trees growing just off the road itself as direction and wind barrier. At least the howling wind was at his back and he was on the downhill side of the summit…probably one of the best advantages he had all things considered. He had to find shelter for the night because without any lanterns and no moon, it got really dark and with the snow blowing, following the road or trees would not be possible. Just ahead about 15 feet was a good stand of tall pine trees, that should work, he thought. Find some pine boughs and hunker down under them. Better to shelter close to the road than to wander off in the darkness blind to direction and get lost. Winds tend to swirl near the summit so depending on merely keeping the wind to his back was not good planning. Stay close to the road in case there was a search party he should hear them and join up.

Jess made it to the pine grove but as he got closer he could see the outline of what looked like a light colored horse but with its head down and the legs nearly ready to crumple down. Within the trees, the howling of the wind eased down some and as he got closer the horse jerked in fright at the noise of his approach. Hobbling on one leg and using a board from the stage as a crutch was not the prettiest sight and certainly made for gangly movement, would scare anyone. So Jess cooed softly in his deep voice trying to ease the panic of the horse. As he got close enough with the fading light he could see the horse was tangled by something around its neck near the head like a broken rope snagged in the lower tree limbs of the pine tree. This wasn't one of the stage horses and had to be a wild horse someone had tried to catch but had escaped, then the rope had gotten tangled in the shrubs and the horse was plum worn out fighting. With the obvious fatigue the horse was suffering and a steady supply of soft cooing, Jess was able to reach the horse and found out it was a mare, she was in foal and near term already leaking milk. She had a beautiful build, wonderful head and very intelligent eyes, probably when cleaned up and fresh, she was a white, if not solidly white mare. She was nervous, but very tired and seemed reassured by Jess' calm voice and soft touch. She quivered at first where he touched her, but after a full walk around inspection, other than her head trapped by the broken rope, she seemed uninjured. So Jess took a hobbled step back and resorted his supply of blankets he was wearing. He took off the one wrapped over his head and then pulled his hat back down low and tight and gently touched her side with the blanket. She watched and when he touched her she quivered again, but he eased the blanket over her withers and tied the corners, one knot at her neck and the other under her tail to hold the warmth to her body that was escaping. It was an old army wool blanket they kept in the back of the stages for emergencies and this definitely qualified. The one he used for her was the largest blanket of the supply. The entire time Jess kept cooing softly and talking to her conversationally and praying under his breath that she wouldn't start foaling out there in the big middle of a blizzard. Once he was sure she was not in a life threatening way and her hunched legs were mostly a fatigue issue and not an injury, Jess went to work trying to figure out the broken rope wrapped and wrapped and tied in knots around broken lower limbs of the tree. It took some study and work because it was getting pretty dark and he was hurting and stiffening up in the cold so movements were more and more sluggish. He didn't want to cut and hack on it with the knife in his boot because he wanted as much length preserved so he could use it. He also didn't want to tug and yank on the rope and further antagonize a horse who'd been terrified being trapped by the head. So he untied knots she'd wound herself into and broke smaller parts of the branches and finally eased the rope free giving himself a good 10 or 12 feet of length. And as he pulled it free and while groaning and pulling into curls against the pain spasms assaulting his knee and shoulder, he got to a standing position alongside her neck where the rope was attached. The mare didn't shy or flinch and she didn't quiver when he touched her this time and looking in her face she seemed to understand they were both trying to survive against odds and with bodies not in perfect working order. Jess didn't want her running off, slipping and falling while so close to foaling and he noticed deeper into the pine grove a more protected area with even less wind and not much snow getting through the dense upper branches of the pine tree grove. So still cooing to her, he gently tugged on the rope while taking some steps toward the middle of the grove. She stared at him and didn't move. So he took another hobble step and tenderly tugged again on the rope – asking her to follow him as opposed to just hauling at her full strength. Jess figured she didn't realize she was free yet so he kept coaxing until she finally took a small step and then another. She looked back down to where her head had been captured and then back to the side in the direction Jess was coaxing and took another step. Slowly, a hobble forward followed by a tentative mare Jess got her moved into the middle of the grove and with his stage crutch raked some pine boughs together making a pretty large pad and finally collapsed as slowly as he could. He still had the end of the rope in his right hand while using his left to work the stage wood crutch he laid down flat on his back to rest all the screaming muscles and it hurt so much it felt good. His head was fuzzy and if he moved too fast became dizzy and the cold was just going through him. He recognized the symptoms he was feeling was shock indicating he had medically really jammed his self up somewheres. Every now and then he'd gasp or groan and reflex into a pain spasm in his shoulder and upper arm or his knee. Some of his ribs were complaining too but Jess didn't feel like they were actually broken. Felt more like tenderized after a fist fight. He took several peeks at the mare and she seemed content to stand on her end of the rope and watch him. At least she wasn't trying to escape and hauling him behind her. Bent up like he was she was his best chance of getting out of this mess as much as he'd been her only hope of getting freed from the snagged rope. After 15 or 20 minutes, Jess couldn't tell, he rolled back up and pulled himself to his feet and began raking together some more pine boughs trying to build as high as he could in a circle that would fit both himself and the mare. He was able to pull together a good sized circle with a stack of boughs about two and a half feet tall, enough to break any drafts from ground currents. Then still holding his end of the rope he walked into the middle of it and then gently tugged the rope asking the mare to come join him. After a few tugs she walked toward him and he worked with her a few steps at a time until she got fully into the circle with him. It was a tight circle. Jess wanted to create a wind break at her legs for warmth to her lower body added to the blanket on her torso much like using straw in a stall. She got into the circle and lowered her head to sniff it checking it out and seemed uninterested in bolting away. So Jess went to one edge near her head area and he laid down next to the mounded wall of boughs and adjusted his blankets around him on the top side and watched to see what the mare would do. Well, it took a half hour or so in the silence listening to the wind howling outside the pine grove, but she came up to Jess on a slack rope and sniffed his face. He blew softly back so she could get his scent but otherwise didn't move. After sniffing the rest of his body she finally slowly folded down beside him and eventually rested her muzzle on the dirt blinking slowly with tired eyes. Jess shook his head wondering how mares could even move being that it took 11 months to grow a foal and they generally weighed 50-60 pounds when born. Carrying all that mass inside had to be exhausting added to the snow then fighting being trapped by the head. Jess remembered the few occasions he'd overeaten and then felt so bloated and full he was miserable….wonder how a mare in foal feels? By then Jess was almost asleep but he knew somebody needed to stay awake and on guard so he slowly eased over toward her legs and covered them with the excess edge of his blanket. Her ears were alert and twitched every now and then but otherwise they both dozed next to each other until morning began to lighten the cloud overcast.

Looking through the tree branches Jess could see it was still snowing hard but not the nasty blizzard wind. It was more large flakes floating down in almost slow motion and where the sound of the snow fall is such a pure peaceful silence it is rest full. Jess wadded and ate some snow and offered some to the mare. She nibbled at it like it was a new flavor and maybe a candy treat and blew the rest off his hand with a snort from it tickling her muzzle whiskers. She reached her feet first and seemed refreshed from the rest after her long fought bout with the rope entanglement. She'd stood easily and came immediately to a solid stand which encouraged Jess. When Jess tried to stand up it wasn't the same way. He was extremely stiff and reaching nearly vertical lost his balance and fell slightly into the mare's side. She stood there and bent her head around looking at him like he was a klutz and he apologized. He couldn't feel much pain now because he was numb from cold and lack of movement. And it was difficult to know what part of his body was doing what unless he looked because he was so numb.

With the mare following him like a shadow but from her end of the rope Jess moved to the edge of the pine grove. There was just enough daylight coming through the clouds and snow that he recognized where he was in the path between Laramie and Cheyenne. But he also knew from many trips back and forth, that there was a cut off horse trail close by that would take him to the Sherman Ranch in a shorter way than going via the road and through Laramie. He'd used it many times mostly coming home from errands Slim would send him on. The distance to shelter between the two choices favored the trail so he decided to use the daylight to take the short cut home and risk missing any search party. Surely, knowing how conservative Slim is, he wouldn't put friends at risk looking for him, but then Slim had surprised him on occasion. Jess decided to gamble on Slim's conservative side. He walked back into the grove with his shadow mare following him and worked with her for a short try to see if she would plow rein and then let him ride. He reworked the lead rope into a halter with reins and she didn't seem to mind. Of course it helped that he continued to coo and talked with her the whole time and scratched certain areas of particular favorites to horses, wild or tame. And he figured since she was still leaking she'd not be much of a raw bronc either, so climbing onto a fallen limb he slowly eased his self over her back on top her blanket and then plow reined her around the grove a few times. He'd hoped to ride because it would be faster than him trying to hobble on a crutch and she seemed indifferent to his weight. So with a huge sigh of relief Jess directed her out of their grove and at a walk headed her down the path at the cut off toward the ranch. With any luck, he figured, she might be lost since she was away from a herd, so she'd allow him to choose their path. At least if he fell off or she bucked him off he'd gotten the lead rope into a closed loop and tight in to her neck and not likely to catch her up again.

 **CHAPTER 3: Room in the Inn's Barn**

Christmas Eve morning at the ranch was just as silent and brooding as it had been the afternoon before it. Daisy found Slim still sleeping with his head on the table and the blanket draped over him. With the snow still falling in huge flakes with a good amount of wind and still deep cloud cover, after he got up Slim paced. Daisy cooked. Slim fed and watered the barn full of animals and went back to pacing. The barn included a ewe and lamb Mike was earning change for babysitting from a school mate. Slim didn't much care for sheep – he was a cattle man. But it was a favor Mike had agreed to the week before and was earning a small fee from so it was good experience for him. Mike refused to come out of his room. Daisy had gone in to check on him and he was complaining he didn't feel good but he didn't have any fever Daisy could find. Being off his feed worried her more. But Mike was still upset with Jess leaving, Jess getting lost and Slim not going to find him and overall another one of his Christmas' going downhill in a big hurry. Slim finally ate a small lunch. Picked at it really, mostly drank coffee all day and went back to pacing like a wild animal in a cage tied to responsibility of home management and the lives under his roof. Nothing Daisy could say got through to Slim and he just kept pacing so she gave up knowing that even though Slim's body was inside the house, he was in reality out in the cold looking for Jess even if just inside his head. By late afternoon the clouds were getting heavier like you could almost reach up and touch them and the wind began picking up again threatening to launch into another blizzard or the main event. Each person was wrapped in their own cocoon of silence.

"HEY! Anybody home?!" It was a familiar, deep raspy voice booming through the silence and a snowball smashed into the front window shutter making an obscene noise.

Both Slim and Daisy jumped like they'd been shot and Slim ran for the door while Daisy ran to get Mike nearly colliding with him at his bedroom doorway.

"JESS!..." Slim started in with a huge smile of relief…. "What….?"

"Get the barn open will ya! Got a Christmas visitor here needs shelter right now!"

"Ya….just give me a…" Slim grabbed his coat and hat and ran for the barn door while putting it on.

Daisy grabbed Mike by the collar as he was about to run out the front door without a coat and started trying to put Mike's coat on him and head him out the kitchen door. Daisy was putting her coat on as she headed for the barn just behind Mike who was yelling.

"JESS!"

The mare startled with all the sudden noise, humans popping out of the wood work and big huge buildings and she turned to start running away with Jess still on her back.

"WHOA, Girl! Easy!" He grabbed a huge hank of mane to hang on but got her stopped and from the edge of the corral spoke loudly to Slim who was the closest one standing at the opened barn door.

"Slim – get everyone back, and for Pete's sake, be quiet!"

Slim could see Jess was working with a wild horse and they were both disheveled. So he herded Mike and Daisy deeper in the barn in the shadows leaving the doors open and propped against the wind.

Slowly Jess was able to coax the mare toward the barn door but she wasn't about to go inside that dark hole, so he slid off of her holding the rope and begin cooing and coaching her, petting her. From the door but still attending the mare Jess talked to the folks hiding behind him.

"She's wild and about to foal. Found her at the pass caught by the rope in some tree limbs and about gone on her feet. I need a bucket of water and some hay, eventually some oats and maybe some warm hash later once I get her in out of this daggum weather. Is there a stall we can get her into, Slim?"

"Ya, I'll have it ready by the time you sweet talk her in here…we can put her next to Traveler. Hey, Mike….slowly go get a bucket of water and bring it in the side door." Slim talked quietly as he began shuffling a few horses to make room. "You want me to bring Traveler out to talk some sense into her?" Slim offered.

"Ya, but slow."

Jess stood beside the mare coaxing and cooing and scratching places and she snorted and intently watched the shadows moving in the dark insides of the barn that smelled strongly of animals. Slim brought Traveler out in halter and a short lead and tossed the lead over Jess' shoulder. The lead really wasn't necessary, just if Jess needed a quick move. Traveler came to his shoulder sniffing him and bumping him from behind, then went past him and exchanged muzzle sniffs with the mare. She seemed to calm down quite a bit.

"Where's the stage?" Slim asked softly.

"In a ditch where it belongs." Jess' voice never changed from the coo tone.

"You ok?"

"No."

"Hurt?"

"Ya, numb, cold and starved. You done yet?"

"Ok, ready. Set her next to Traveler."

"C'mon Sweetheart. I'll get you some room in the inn….you're more than welcome here."

Jess wobbled a step toward the barn and tugged asking again for the mare to follow. She took a step and sniffed Traveler again.

"Show the way, Trav." Jess told his steed. As if he understood English, Traveler turned into the barn headed back to his warm, dry stall and the mare followed him.

Slim snuck around behind them and slowly closed the doors down and began lighting lanterns then he tucked Traveler back into his stall.

Jess was able to walk her into the box stall right next to Traveler and offered her the bucket of water Mike had handed him. She sniffed the bucket then timidly began drinking a small amount. When she was done, Jess put the bucket to his lips and took a good sized drink.

"Ain't coffee, but it's wet." He looked longingly into the bucket as though seeing a long lost friend then set it down near the hay manger where the mare could help herself. He slipped off the extra blanket wrapped over his coat and smoothed it on top the other blanket the mare was still wearing. "Could I get some more straw in here, build it up around her legs. We're both frozen."

"Sure." Slim went for another bale of straw and from the stall door helped Jess fluff it loose around the mare's legs. "She's a beauty. Just found her out there?"

"Ya, no brand or nothing, pretty young, too, maybe 3 or 4. Had been caught but the rope broke and she'd got tied in some low hanging branches. She was teetering about to collapse and she's leaking, Slim, could foal anytime."

He offered a fresh lift of hay to her manger and her muzzle but she turned away from it. Since she wasn't fussing or trying to fight the stall and Slim had pushed the stall door closed, Jess slipped the make shift rope halter off of her and continued stroking and scratching. She just paced checking out the corners of the stall and all the smells. Her sight had adjusted to the darker inside so she also looked through the barn noting all the other animals and noises. The barn held the milk cow, the chickens, the ewe and lamb, Alamo and 4 stage horses so there was plenty of noise and smell. Mike and Daisy were perched leaning over the top of the stall rail watching and glued beside Slim.

"She sure is pretty, Jess." Mike finally found his voice.

"I'm glad you were able to save her." Daisy added.

"A little early to be foaling, Jess. Be better if she'd foal in January." Slim offered.

"Ya, well tell that to her! She's wild, Slim, they get no choice."

"I know. It's good you found her. Where you hurt?"

"Right shoulder, left knee – some tender ribs. Don't really know- it's all numb. Figured I could collapse once we got to some shelter."

"You come through Laramie? Let anyone know or see anyone?" Slim checked.

"No, came up the old horse trail. Was shorter. Counted on you keeping a search party home safe." Jess shot a quick look at Slim with questions in his face. "You didn't send anyone out this close to a holiday did you?"

Slim nodded toward Mike but didn't look at him. "No. Mort came by late afternoon reporting Cheyenne saying you never arrived and he offered to gather a search party. But it'd have been dark by then and it had started snowing, so I told him to wait and we'd count on your survival instincts."

Jess caught the gesture toward Mike. " 'At's good, thanks Slim. Would'a killed me somebody getting out in this stuff and a family losing a member or getting hurt just to find me. Guess I've been pitched off a stage so many times I've learnt to bounce. That or landing on this hard head. Dadgum…..that'd kill me some kid's daddy die trying to find me at a holiday. Hard enough living but without having no Pa, too. Ain't that right, Tiger?"

Jess looked softly at Mike but Mike just dropped his gaze confirming to Jess that there had been some friction between them. "That had to be hard on you Slim, sticking to that deecision." He winked at Slim.

"One of the hardest, Jess. You're family." Slim reached over and put his arm around Mike's shoulders in compassion. "Sometimes love has to make the tough ones. I had to just rely on your survival instincts so I could stay here and take care of Daisy and Mike 'cause they're family, too."

"Ya, well "those survival instincts've" been honed by a life of hard knocks." Jess muttered. "Ain't something I chose for sure." Jess reached over and tousled Mike's hair as Mike looked up to Jess' face. "Like the mare, life don't give ya choices and ya hafta learn to keep your head and focus on finding answers so's ya can stay living and pull your part of the family need."

Daisy chimed in. "When Sheriff Corey reported you were missing it tore Slim up trying to decide whether to get a search party together or trust your instincts. He asked me what I thought but I just told him to do what he knew you'd want done since he knew you best. He chose to trust your instincts, and he may have stayed home, but in his head he was out there searching for you. Family runs deep and all of us here know all too well what losing a family feels like. That's why it becomes more special when you find a second family." They could all see Jess shivering. "We need to get you inside, warmed up, checked out and I've got all kinds of food ready to eat."

"Ain't leaving her until she's dropped that foal, Daisy. She's a young mare and this could be her first foal. With these circumstances, the stress she was in and how I found her, she might need human help and we been helping each other a lot the last day. I don't start something I can't finish." Jess declined.

"How about I bring some hot food and coffee out here? I've been fixing all this food and nobody's EATing!" There was some slight exasperation leaking from her voice.

"Daisy, I'll eat anything you got! Big pot of coffee, too. Ain't ate since breakfast yesterday. The sooner you get it here the faster I'll eat it! Could use more blankets, couple of big towels."

"Ya, we all know what you can do to food." Slim teased. "Hey! I got Jonesy's old stove we found cleaning out the barn last week. Want me to fire that up?" Slim asked. "I'm not feeling all those old drafts and we'd be out here to monitor the fire with the wind howling."

Jess held his hands up palms out and nodded slightly sideways easing down the energy, "As long as everyone moves slow and very quiet. Wild mare will hold a foal if she's not comfortable."

"Ok, folks, Jess is the boss….we got our assignments."

"What do you want me to do, Jess?" Mike asked.

"Help Daisy get that food and blankets out here. Big help, Tiger, your legs are working a sight better than mine right now so that's where I need you. Thanks!" That brought a smile to the youngster's face.

Slim got the old potbelly stove fired up in the corner and refastened down the doors and hatches except for the smaller door that lead straight to the facing kitchen door. Then he pulled some straw and hay bales inside the mare's box stall and outside it so Jess could sit down on something before he fell over. In the dimmer light of the lanterns he had lit he was beginning to see how ashen Jess' face was underneath the two day scruff. Muttering 'dadgums' and groans under his breath Jess was wobbling badly hanging onto stall walls and tripping on things. Slim also set up some bales in the middle that were taller making a table of sorts ready for the food Daisy and Mike were beginning to bring out packed in her various market baskets. She brought a table cloth and spread it out first then several hot pots one of chicken and noodles, a large pot of coffee and in a wicker basket she'd packed some hot bread right from the oven and some bowls and spoons.

"I'll watch the mare, Jess, so you can go get some food. It'll help warm you up."

Slim offered his arm to help Jess to the bale of straw next to the new food table and Jess gratefully leaned on him. Slim had an ulterior motive in assisting Jess. He wanted to get a feel of Jess' body to gauge how badly injured he was and how weak. It worked and he could feel how tensely Jess was holding his self bracing and counterbalancing the weakened knee and shoulder, his skin was not only cold it was clammy and he was trembling under the shivering of the cold.

"We need to have Daisy check out your injuries once it gets a little warmer in here, too." Slim advised and he caught Daisy's eye gesturing her to check Jess out for a fever. She nodded. Slim got Jess seated then reached over him to grab a piece of hot bread and went back to the stall to watch the mare as promised whilst munching on the bread.

"I'm just tired, Slim, and cold." Jess mumbled as he watched Daisy dip out a generous bowl full of chicken and noodles and watched the broth create its steam pillar. He stuck his face over the steam and breathed in the delicious aromas.

"Dadgum, Daisy. 'At smells like heaven. So hungry my ribs are playing tunes." He grabbed a spoonful and blew gently to cool it some before putting it in his mouth. While chewing, he put the spoon down and grabbed a hot piece of bread and jammed that in his mouth, too. "'Is barn sure feels a whole lot tighter, Slim, and warmer. Work last week was just in time." Jess shivered and re-shifted his coat and clothing and Daisy placed a blanket over his shoulders then gave him a side hug with her cheek on his forehead checking him for fever. "Thanks, Daisy. Good to get home." Jess smiled briefly then looked up at her while chewing. "Do I have a fever?"

Slim looked at Daisy, too, as she smiled and patted Jess' shoulder before walking back away to the pot.

"No, but you are clammy fighting shock, Jess. Means you're injured to some degree somewhere on your body so don't get over chilled and try to put as much fluid down as you can hold." She advised. "We should move you over here next to the stove."

" 'At I can do." He quickly put another huge spoonful of hot food into his mouth then reached to pick up his bowl and stand. Daisy came back and collected his food items before he could get his hands loaded and Slim came over to help Jess move to the other side of the baled table and backed to the potbelly. The wind outside was beginning to howl again and the clouds were dropping huge snowflakes.

"Sounds like the blizzard finally caught up to me." Jess mumbled as he moved and re-sat down. "Ya, that's better. Thanks, Daisy. So numb I can't feel much what's hot or cold or hurt."

"What happened out there Jess?" Slim came over and sat across from Jess where he could see the stall. Daisy put a bowl down in front of him and he piled into it in earnest, too. Then Mike followed.

Jess looked at Slim disturbed he was not at the stall and looked over himself to check the mare.

"I can see her clear from here, Jess. She's got 3 blankets on, covered to her knees in straw and is resting. Wish there was some way to capture the milk she's leaking. Jess?"

"Not much to say. Almost to the pass and the stage hit a hole, wheel came off or broke and the hitch pin ejected. Horses musta took off and the stage rolled down off the road. I woke up under some pine tree and the snow was just the little, fine stuff that'll suffocate ya. Wind was worse. I got back to the stage and leaned on it, it broke into pieces so I grabbed as big a board I could use to crutch, the blankets out of the back and got back to the road, started hiking back to Laramie. By the way, need to get the company to put a rope in each stage with the blankets. Was getting dark and I saw a pine grove and headed there to hunker down until morning when I found the mare at the edge of it. Covered her up with a blanket and worked the knots out of the tangle she was in and got her led deeper into the inner part of the grove. Was actually pretty quiet inside the grove, raked up some boughs for bedding and eventually we got bedded down mostly dozed until morning. I could see more where I was and the old cut off horse trail back way into the ranch here and after some light convincing, she let me ride her in here. We pretty much saved each other's life."

"Where are you hurt, Jess?" Daisy asked sitting down with her bowl full.

"Don't rightly know, pretty numb by cold. Think my left knee got caught in the foot box of the stage or the brake pole. Middle of the knee ain't happy. From the way I was laying, I probably landed on my right shoulder in the tree. It was screaming, too. Can barely move them, but they work. Few ribs are yellin' like after a fight. Been too busy and too cold to look, Daisy."

"We'll check it out soon, before you turn in."

Jess pushed his emptied bowl toward the chicken and noodle pot and Daisy filled it up again while Jess grabbed another piece of bread and took a swig of hot coffee.

"Ya, well that ain't likely. Plan to bed down in her stall or in with Traveler. Don't expect you all to stay out here. Barn's a lot tighter, but it'd be warmer for you all back in the house." Jess heaved a sigh of relief with the heat and food in his stomach. It helped unclench his shoulders some.

"I've got a fresh apple pie over on the stove when you're ready, Jess." Daisy advised through her eyebrows and pointing over her shoulder with her spoon.

"Pie, too?! Dadgum! Now I know I'm home." After a few moments with a cooler second bowl of food Jess swiped the inside of his empty bowl with the last bite of bread and handed the bowl to Daisy. "When you've finished your bowl, Daiz…..I'll be ready."

"I wanna stay out here with Jess!" Mike piped up after getting a particularly large bite swallowed.

Slim and Daisy looked at each other with question marks.

"Ya, why not, Tiger. You can keep me warm!" Jess smiled for the first time since getting home. "Barn's not a bad place. All these nice critters, out of the wind and snow, plenty of blankets and straw…. Heck, better that what I had last night and for roughing it, that pine grove was pretty doggone nice."

"I've never spent a night in a barn before." Daisy contemplated out loud.

"Well, a barn can be a pretty nice place. I remember another family who spent a night in the barn waiting the birth of a new baby." Slim offered while raising his own eyebrows mimicking Daisy.

"Ya! We could have Christmas here like Mary and Joseph did when Jesus was borned. We got horses and a cow." Mike piped in.

"Ya and there's even that wooly thing you're supposed to be babysitting, Tiger. We sure got a full house tonight just like they did." Slim added.

"What wooly thing?" Jess asked.

"That ewe and her lambkin other side of Trav…Mike's babysitting for his friend from school."

"She's real gentle, Jess. Come see." Mike got up and was reaching for Jess' hand.

Jess pulled his hand away and held it up. "Whoa….that's ok, Tiger, I'll take your word. Suppose that lambkin is a cute cuddle bug, too."

"She sure is." Tiger announced. "It's a boy lambkin, too."

"You mean a ram?" Daisy never lost one chance for a teaching moment.

"Ya. One of them." Mike's voice dropped and looking over his shoulder at the pair of sheep he returned to his seat at the table.

"Don't think we could stuff one more animal in here." Slim commented.

"Well, there was no room in the inn that night either, but they found a manger in what had to also be a very full barn." Daisy offered. "You know it might be fun at that, all of us camped out in the barn on Christmas Eve just like the Bible story. It's not all that cold and dirty out here."

"Better not be after all the cleaning Slim and me did last week." Jess muttered now fading with a full stomach and the stress of the last few days. "How 'bout it, Hard Rock….think you can take a watch out here so's I can grab a nap?"

"Ya, but I'm gunna get some more clothes on from the house first." Slim decided he needed another layer of long handles for a night in a barn during a blizzard. "But we need to keep the trips back and forth to a minimum, folks. Every time we open that door, we lose heat. So let's group it up, ok? We'll make one more trip over and back and turn in and I'll go over once during the night and keep the fireplace going over there in case we get too cold out here."

Jess was fading about as fast as a balloon losing air.

"Ready for pie, Jess?" Daisy offered.

That woke him back up some. "Ya! Big piece too, Daiz. Then I'm gunna hafta find something to flatten out on." He didn't want to admit out loud the room was spinning from the stress and fatigue taking its toll on his body.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Daisy noticed Jess' movements freezing up and more pain grimaces on his face.

"Past pain, Daisy. Numb, stuff not wanting to move." Jess mumbled. "Cold really takes it out of ya fast and the mare and I really didn't get sleep last night, more just dozed."

"We really need to check you out, Jess, just in case you've actually hurt something." She admonished.

Jess tried to reach for the plate with his portion of pie but Daisy set it down too quickly so he piled in with his spoon. Daisy divvied up the pie for everyone else and with a shopping list of needs for the night planned out in their heads, Mike, Daisy and Slim made a dash for the house with the dirty plates. They left the coffee and left over chicken and noodles on the potbelly and while inside the house they changed into heavier clothes, grabbed supplies including a bottle of whiskey for Jess and headed back to the barn for the night. The snow storm was going full blast by then so once in the barn Slim and Mike made up sleeping pallets near the stove for the three of them and one for Jess next to but outside the mare's stall. By the time they had gotten back to the barn Jess was already sitting on a bale with his head leaning against the wall. He was covered in blankets and sleeping and while he didn't wake up when they blustered through coming back the ewe and lamb bleated strongly registering their concerns. Then realizing how much the cold can exhaust someone, added to being bent up by a stage wreck, Slim fixed Jess' pallet surrounded by bales of straw or hay, then he half picked up a very groggy Jess who moaned with each directional change and got him laid down in the straw padded groove. After getting a swig of whiskey down him, Slim covered him back up. Then he took one slow walk around of the barn securing things then poured a cup of hot coffee spiked with "medicinal purpose," wrapped himself in a spare blanket and took up watch sitting on one of the perimeter bales of Jess' barn bed near the mare's stall.

 **CHAPTER 4: The Blessed Event – The Miracle is Watching it.**

Somewhere around 4 a.m. Slim was nodding off fighting his own need for sleep and jerked awake when his hand relaxed dropping the empty cup and he realized he'd almost duplicated Jess' nod off leaning against the barn wall. The ewe had bleated softly but Slim didn't know why. A quick glance and she seemed fine. 'Maybe sheep talk in their sleep' he thought with a light chuckle. He looked at the mare and she was facing him and laying down so he got up slowly and stoked the potbelly stove. The wind outside had stopped howling and it was quiet and the lanterns were still softly illuminating the barn. Daisy and Mike were still tucked in and sleeping fine. Daisy looked funny with a stocking cap over her head, but at least she bucked up to stay in the barn overnight. The mare stood back up so Slim filled his coffee cup with "brew" and moseyed back to her stall just in time to see her water gush. He slipped into Traveler's stall to get a view of the mare's rear and sure enough, there was a hoof protruding under the raised tail. So Slim eased over to Jess' pallet, kneeled down and softly put his hand across Jess' mouth and with the other hand gently touched his shoulder. Jess instantly jerked awake almost coming off the pallet ready to defend his self.

"DDadgum, Sli….!" Jess whispered just because he saw Slim's index finger up to his lips shushing him.

"She's coming." Slim whispered back and gestured toward the mare. "Water's broke and I see a hoof."

Jess tried to get up, fight his way out of the blankets, rub his eyes open and get to the stall all at the same time but his body was hurting with any movement and while he'd been warm in the pallet, he was stiff and nearly fell over the bale onto his nose. Slim caught him and helped him gimp over to the stall where Jess' eyes got wide and a small smile broke his face. Slim offered Jess a sip of his "coffee" and after a pause Jess took a good swallow…then gagged slightly on the unexpected "flavor." He gave Slim a small smile and thumbs up at Slim's version of winter flavored coffee then lightly patted Slim's closest arm, put his own finger to his lips and waved toward Daisy and Mike so Slim went and quietly woke them so they could watch, too. It took some to get Mike awake and Slim just picked him up at the waist and walked him to Traveler's stall and stood him up between himself and Daisy. Mike did finally get his eyes open and then nothing could pull him away as he was glued in awe watching the event.

While commencing his soft coo in encouragement to the mare Jess grabbed a couple of towels Daisy had brought out and gimped into the stall with the mare but stood back and waited for the mare to give birth and just stood by in case she needed help. He had his thick blue shearling lined coat on and wincing around the right shoulder, he quickly removed it flipping it toward Daisy to hold but she wrapped it around Mike who grinned even bigger and without hesitation stuffed his arms through the sleeves. That made him snug as a bug in a rug. Slim and Jess were pretty sure this was the mare's first foal because she seemed somewhat unsure. But Jess just kept cooing and true to nature the mare laid back down and with Jess cooing and just guiding the front hooves that appeared, she dropped her foal gently into the straw along with a complete placenta. Jess broke the bag freeing the nose and gently began towel drying the face while the mare took a rest break. Slowly the foal began wiggling in the warm but cooler than his womb barn and Jess just guided legs so they wouldn't kick the mare.

"What is it?" Was an unrehearsed whispered trio from Daisy, Mike and Slim.

"Huh? Oh…" Jess took another second to take a peek. "It'sa colt."

"Is she dead?" Mike whispered pointing to the mare.

"No, Tiger. She's just taking a break. Takes a lot of work putting something this big into the world. This "baby" weighs as much as you."

And right on cue, the mare brought her head up and looked behind her then began to get up. She turned and came to the foal and began licking it and Jess backed away and just assisted and stood by. Within the hour the mare had the foal pretty much cleaned up and the colt was trying to figure what the long sticks were attached to his body and just how to you get them to go all the same direction. Mike was giggling. Daisy's face was lit up better than any Christmas tree and both Jess and Slim were smiling.

"Merry Christmas, world, here he is!" Jess softly announced with a huge smile. "Just look at those dadgum whiskers!" The foal's muzzle was covered in 2-3" whiskers all going askew every which way.

"What color is he?" Daisy asked.

Slim and Jess looked at each other shaking their heads slightly.

"Right now he's black." Slim said. "But foals nearly always change color as they get going. Seen a lot of black or dark brown go white by the time they're five. Hard to tell not knowing the daddy. What do you think, Jess?"

"My bet is he'll go white, like his ma. Will tell better when I can see him in sunshine once it warms up. Opp! Easy fella!"

Jess reached with his good hand and steadied the colt who'd managed to get to his feet but wasn't moving just yet. The mare nickered softly to her foal still nuzzling and licking here and there.

"What are you gunna name them?" Mike asked.

"Are you keeping them?" Slim asked at the same time.

Jess shook his head softly and with the towel rubbed a wet spot on the foal that the mare missed.

"Dunno, yet. Her and I gotta discuss matters once her schedule settles some." Jess arched and moved his soreness around not getting much movement even now out of the cold wind and snow. "Not so sure I'da made it back here afoot so what she did for me reckon I need to give her the choice. Like to figure some way to put a brand on without hurting them."

They could tell Jess was already becoming attached and they weren't too far behind him.

"Well, I think you should call her Cloud and the colt Snow, since he came from her and during a snow storm." Mike announced.

Jess puckered and drew up his chin nodding sideways, "Maybe. Good names, Tiger. Daisy, can you make up some warm oats for her?" Jess asked still not taking his eyes off the foal and offering a soft stroke or two to the mare.

"Cooked oats?" Daisy queried.

"I'll do it, Jess. Used to make some all the time for a mare my dad had. She should be ready for some food in an hour or so. It'll be daylight by then." Slim volunteered.

The colt found the mare's leaking spickets and his little tail started pumping in delight of the warm milk and the mare's eyes half closed in relief.

Daylight arrived just as the snow and wind died down and by mid-morning the sun came out blinding everyone with snow diamonds on a drifted 18" of new snow dust. Slim had fixed the warm oat mash and the mare ate most of it and then piled into the hay topping off her first post-delivery meal with a long drink of water. Then she was ready for a stand up nap along with the colt who had a full tummy of warm milk and had laid back down. After putting out fresh food for the animals, picking out the wet parts of the stall and satisfied all was well and peaceful with the mare and foal,Slim pried a half frozen Jess from the barn and the humans retreated to the house. Daisy started in fixing a huge, hot breakfast and Jess pulled a chair to the freshly stoked fireplace and sat down with a thud. Within minutes in the heat he began peeling layers of blankets, coats and clothing off with Mike's help compensating for parts of Jess' body that wouldn't move. They finally got him warmed up enough to get to the undershirt and with Daisy's promise to stay in the kitchen they checked out his knee finding deep bruises on the left knee with a reddish line across the knee cap. His entire right shoulder and bicep was also deeply bruised as were some areas in his ribs. Slim was amazed Jess could even move. They put a blanket over Jess' midsection so Daisy could come diagnose his bruises while the food was cooking and she thought he'd broken his knee cap and possibly dislocated the shoulder even though it had re-seated itself. They also found a cut in his scalp up in the hair with a dried scab and that explained the headache Jess had been ignoring as ache from a cold head. Daisy went back to cooking and Jess piled the clothes back on with Slim and Tiger's help and they all decided he'd need to see the doc once the roads were passable again. They sat down to a hot, fresh and bountiful breakfast and everyone ate a double portion groaning with happiness over a warm full stomach and toasty house. But it did cause both Jess and Slim to begin fighting sleepiness so with permission from Tiger they both headed for naps with the promise to do Christmas once they got up mid-day. By 7 a.m. they barely made it to their beds and passed out immediately with multiple blankets piled on them. Tiger and Daisy cleaned up breakfast, got lunch started and in the oven and did final decorating in the living room ready for when the men woke up.

By noon Slim's nose woke him up smelling the turkey in the oven and he checked on Jess who was still passed out under blankets with barely the tip of his nose visible. Under Daisy's strong encouragement to have Slim take care of the animals in the barn to keep Jess from going back out in the cold, Slim agreed and grabbed Tiger, they bundled up and headed for the barn. His ulterior motive was to have Tiger earn his money for the care of babysitting his friend's ewe and lamb. Everything checked out fine in the barn and with the sun out and no wind Slim extinguished the potbelly stove. They refreshed water buckets and hay mangers and watched the colt wobble to his feet again to nurse whilst still pumping with his tail. That made Tiger laugh. So they grabbed up a huge load of firewood and traipsed back into the house.

Slim snuck a carrot stick off Daisy's appetizer tray and peeling off his coat went to check on Jess who hadn't moved one inch. So Slim headed back to the kitchen but was cut off by Daisy heading to the bedroom holding a fresh hot cup of coffee she was going to stick under Jess' nose to try to bring him back into consciousness. The aroma of the coffee only created a slight movement of Jess' eyebrows but didn't wake him. That concerned Daisy and she peeled the blankets back further and checked Jess' temple and forehead for a fever and frowned finding him overly warm, if not with a low grade fever.

Slim leaned forward over Daisy's shoulder. "Is he still breathing?" He asked with a mild attempt at humor as Mike finally arrived wanting to know what the holdup was. Those presents under their tree were calling his name.

Daisy frowned up at Slim but began pulling the blankets further back off Jess' face and shoulder. "Of course he is but he's running a low fever."

"Well he was out in the cold for over 24 hours, Daisy, and ejected in a stage wreck. Lucky he's even alive."

Daisy slipped her hands on Jess' right shoulder and down his bicep feeling for heat and finding some.

"I need to check his knee, Slim." She turned slightly and headed lower down the bed.

Jess was sleeping on his left side with his right knee propped up on pillows so it wouldn't put pressure on the left knee which meant they had to go digging under the layers at Jess' knee without pulling all the blankets off of him. The activity of pulling blankets and touching his body woke Jess out of a deep sleep and he was groggy. The second he started to move away from whatever was messing with his body the pain spasms commenced and he grimaced as he pulled away. Suffice it to say, his attitude fell as low as the temperature outside.

"HEY! Dadgum….OW!" he winced as he tried to move. "What …the...?" He groaned hard and recoiled in pain drawing his shoulder in tight with his left hand not quite making contact through the thickness of the blankets. Next he tried to sit forward but that aggravated the left knee on the bottom and he curled nearly into a fetal position. "OW…Dadgummit!"

"Easy Jess." Slim put a hand on Jess' hip offering to steady him or at the least push him back down on the bed.

"Lay back, Jess. Try to relax." Daisy cooed also offering a steadying hand.

"Was just getting thawed out….what's the…" Jess shot a quick glance to Slim's face to see if he was worried about something. Slim was, about Jess, but Jess thought it was the mare.

"The mare?" Jess' voice broke and he was still clutching his right shoulder.

"They're both fine. Quiet, warm and eating fine." Slim reassured the surrogate father. Mike came to stand at Slim's side watching what the concern was over.

"We're worried about you, Jess. You're sleeping so long and deep and you are running a low fever." Daisy advised softly.

"Hit that sweet spot…" Jess mumbled pulling the blankets back to his chin. " 'Is bed's a sight softer than the ground and lots warmer." He swiped his finger under his nose and sniffed then rubbed the forest eyelashes that were still slightly tangled. "Everything hurts." Was spoken as a moan.

"I think you've just thawed out enough now to finally find out how hurt you are after getting tossed off that stage." Slim offered.

"The numbness from the cold is coming alive with the warmth of the room and blankets." Daisy added.

"Ya…'at's ….reckon. Woke up numb after the crash. Don't know how long I was out." Jess was mumbling as he snuggled back in hugging his self under the pile of blankets ready to resume his nap. "Sompthin' sure smells good."

"Are we ever going to have Christmas or not?" Mike whined. "Christmas is half gone."

Jess' eyes opened back up slowly and he searched for Mike's face finding him on the other side of Slim. In the upheaval of their scheduled events and the sleep deprivation he was all off schedule.

"Christmas?" He raised his head trying hard to not move anything below the neck and start pain spasms again. "Is that a turkey I smell cookin?" He looked at Daisy who smiled and nodded yes.  
"Is that fireplace going in the other room?" Jess looked at Slim and HE nodded yes.

"Reckon I gotta move to get to the other room, huh?" He smiled at Mike.

Mike eagerly started to grab the blanket. "Ya, and I'll help!"

"Why don't you men get Jess layered up in clothes and into the other room while I finish the lunch. After we eat we can do Christmas and then have dessert after presents." Daisy offered as a schedule.

"Works for me." Slim agreed. "How about you, Tiger?"

Mike nodded eagerly.

Even though Jess was sleeping in his full load of day clothes Daisy stood back up and left the room so Jess would have his dignity getting out of a nice, cozy and warm bed. As she put the finishing touches on the big Christmas dinner Mike and Slim managed to pull the covers off of Jess who was reluctant to turn loose of their warmth. Slim mostly plucked a shivering Jess out of the bed to reduce the pain spasms and groaning complaints and they got another layer of clothes over what he was wearing added to a wrapped blanket then all three managed to hobble into the dining room. Slim pulled the dining table closer to the fireplace and they planted Jess backed up to it so he could continue to thaw. Daisy offered to put Jess' right shoulder in a sling and oddly he accepted based on the excuse he couldn't feel what was hurt and what was numb from cold. So Slim slipped Jess some "medicinal purpose" to help Jess remain vertical and was quickly followed by a full blown turkey dinner with all the trimmings. They were so busy eating there wasn't much chatter and after eating Slim and Mike helped Daisy do a basic clean up leaving turkey snacks cleaned off the carcass available. Then they rejoined Jess back in the living room around the tree and presents. Jess was in the rocker with his leg propped up and back under a wrapped blanket while Slim and Mike took the couch and Daisy took the other chair.

 **CHAPTER 5: The Real Christmas Present**

It was a tradition in Slim's home growing up that before opening presents they took out the Bible and took turns reading the story of the birth of Jesus from Luke 2. Slim started and read several verses then passed the Bible to Mike who read several and then to Daisy and finally ended with Jess rounding out the story. Then Mike passed out the presents and they took turns opening them one at time. It's not like the living room was filled with presents, it was one from each to the other, so they mostly had three presents each to open. Mike had a smidge more. Daisy had knitted each male a homemade sweater which each one immediately put on. Slim and Jess exchanged gun accessories, Jess gave Slim a new holster and Slim gave Jess a cleaning kit teasing Jess about being so obsessive about keeping his weapons clean. Slim gave Daisy a hair brush with matching mirror and Jess gave her a homemade crocheted shawl he'd hired from a lady in town. Of course trying to match Daisy's craftiness he teased that he'd crocheted it his self, but no one believed him. Mike was given several toys and a pair of chaps, some new boots and a jean jacket that looked like Slim and Jess'. Mike had been given a weekly allowance for doing his chores which he'd saved up and he gave Daisy a fancy hair barrette, he gave Slim a pair of leather gloves that Jess had helped him pick out (and pay for) and he gave Jess a new leather belt that Slim had helped pay for. Neither Jess nor Slim knew they'd each helped Mike with Mike's gifts to them. The wrappings fueled the fireplace. Then while sitting in their circle holding their new treasures in their laps Slim initiated another Sherman family tradition.

"Another Sherman tradition we had at Christmas is for everyone to share one or two things about a favorite Christmas memory or thing they did in their home or past. So we'll start with Daisy."

Daisy finished adjusting her hairdo having put Mike's gift to use, then flattened out wrinkles in her dress from all the activity. "Well….Slim. Let me think. Oh, I know. When my son was a little boy my husband and I would always take him downtown so he could see the stores all decorated and people whose houses were close to town were decorated, too. Then we'd stop at the corner ice cream store and have a hot chocolate with marshmallows in it and listen to all the carolers who strolled the streets on Christmas Eve. We'd open one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest after breakfast the next morning. And it wasn't Christmas for my husband unless I made Figgie pudding."

"Where did you live back then, Daisy?" Slim asked.

"We lived in a small town in the out lying area of Philadelphia and went downtown to see all the Christmas sights." She reported with a happy face of memories. "My husband thought he could sing bass and kept us in stitches making a mess of the songs." She chuckled to herself.

Slim smiled and nodded, then looked at Jess. "Jess?"

Jess was looking mostly down and fidgeting with his complaining knee.

"Jess?" Daisy added.

"Not much to tell….being's how poor… We never really celebrated 'cause my pa didn't believe in holidays and was gone or drunk. My older brothers were mostly tagging behind him and he kept to his usual routine of partying in town. My Ma and I would have a secret Christmas, sometimes with Francie if she wasn't back in east Texas with my Ma's cousins. I got handed down clothes my brothers outgrew that they hadn't ruined or what my ma could fix. My ma always made a special chocolate cake she knew I liked and she'd have made something by hand, like a bandana outta some scrap of cloth. I'd have found a pretty rock for her rock garden or whittle something outta a nice piece of wood like a hair thing. She always told me it was who you were with and having your health was important or finding someone who had less than you and helpin' them was what special days were for. We'd go down to the church to help with some dinner they put on there for homeless types. They mostly ended up making me do dishes to keep me from eating all the food." Jess smiled cheesy like looking at the floor and gestured, "One spoon for you, one in my mouth." He chuckled. "Church would give us that helped some oranges or apples to take home. Was the only time I ever got to taste a real orange. One year we got something they called grapefruit only they weren't grapes, they were like these huge oranges. Who-ee! Were those things sour! Make your eyes water fierce." He made a sour face to match.

"Did you eat the membranes, Jess? That's what's sour." Daisy asked.

"What's membranes?"

"The skin that surrounds each section of fruit."

"Must have. Peeled them like an orange and just ate 'em. Red ones were better than the white ones but those were more rare. Never really figured what folks saw in them to want to eat 'em."

"Oh well then you've never had grapefruit fixed proper. They can be tangy but shouldn't be sour." Daisy advised. "You eat them with either a dusting of sugar or if you prefer, salt."

"What about you, Mike? Is there anything you remember doing at Christmas?" Slim asked as he gave Mike a side hug.

"Wasn't much, like Jess. I remember my pa always seemed to find a turkey or chicken, sometimes a bird called a pleasant."

"You mean pheasant?" Slim asked.

"Ya, one of those, had a really long tail and he'd let me keep the best of the feathers. Wasn't much meat and it tasted weird. Ma cooked a big meal and she generally sewed some piece of clothes like I got a vest one time. Never had no tree."

"What about you, Slim?" Daisy asked.

"Ya, I bet you had big ole family Christmases." Jess added.

"Well, we had a big turkey dinner, Ma was a great cook. When Andy got old enough to understand it, we did more. We didn't have that much either. Generally, drew names and everyone got one gift. Pa would sell off one steer and gave everyone two dollars each and we had to find a gift that wasn't more than that. Was all he could afford."

Mike had calmed way down. He was snuggled in with all his gifts in his lap or beside him but he'd somehow lost his bubbling excitement.

"What's buggin' you, Tiger? Thought you'd be happier." Jess asked softly and everyone drew a gaze on the youngster. "I made it back in time for Christmas."

Mike didn't jump right back in immediately with an answer and Slim nudged him.

"I….I just." Mike half swiped a tear from his face. "I guess I always thought because I never had much Christmas before that it was me not having what other folks got and that everyone else had big parties and such. Now you guys tell me you never had much a Christmas either. I was all excited this year over having a really big Christmas with parties and presents. Then Jess had to leave, then he was lost in the blizzard, but he came back and with a pretty horse and SHE even had a baby!"

Slim and Daisy both took in breaths like they were getting ready to counsel Mike but Jess held up his hand shushing them. He could see Mike was putting together his thoughts and just needed a few moments to organize them.

"So what are you saying, Tiger?" Jess cooed softly.

"Well I guess I'm saying I thought having parties and all these gifts was what makes Christmas happy and special, but you guys tell me you didn't have much either, just being with your family and spending time together was what made it so happy for you growing up. Then with Jess getting … and the stage wreck almost killing him… then we spent Christmas eve all together in a barn like when baby Jesus was born…was like living that story only live for us, not just reading it from the Big Book. We got to see a pretty, white mare bring a baby horse into the world all surrounded by other animals in a barn together with a storm outside. Don't quite understand it all, but just being together, Jess being safe and watching a baby born…just seems more …..well more special. I love my gifts and the food and all, but being here as a family and helping the wild mare out, giving her room and protection ….Jess' life and him helping the horse and her baby's lives were saved…..it just means more." He waved his hand over the gifts in his lap.

Mike was fighting tears along with Daisy, and Slim's eye rims were red.

"I….I just ….love you guys more than all these presents and never want this to go away."

Slim reached sideways giving Mike another hug and Mike crawled over and gave Slim a full on hug.

"I love you, Slim. Thank you for giving me a home and family." Mike whispered. "I'm sorry for saying I hated you. I didn't mean it…really."

"I love you, too, Mike. You sure make our family whole. I knew you didn't hate me, you were just scared for Jess." Slim whispered back with his own hug.

A few moments later Mike crawled down and went to Daisy and they hugged while Mike repeated his love to Daisy and she kissed his cheek and hugged him back.

Mike turned and headed for Jess who was locked into Mike's face with deep searing blue eyes and opened his lap and arms. Mike crawled into Jess' lap without hesitation and started to tell Jess the same sentence but lost it before he could say anything. "I love you, Jess….don't you ever die!" With that statement Mike caved into Jess' chest in an all out cry, sobbing his heart out emptying all the dreaded fear of the previous days not knowing if Jess was ever coming back from the stage run and losing him like he'd lost his parents. Jess enfolded Mike into his arms hugging him back tightly and cooing nothing words locked tight into each other's chest and neck, Mike's knees around Jess' waist butted into the back of the chair. There wasn't one millimeter of space between them and the side of Jess' chin was hugging the back of Mike's head.

"I'm right here, Tiger. Always be inside your heart no matter where life takes us. What we have is special and nothing can take that away. You hear me?" Jess cooed softly.

Mike nodded and his sobbing diminished into a soft cry. He finally sniffed several times and sat back onto Jess' lap still facing him but with his head down. "My ma and pa never touched me, or hugged me. Pa thought it was too girlie and wouldn't let my ma do it. Told her I needed to be a man. Only time they touched me was for a hiding. I thought it was because something was wrong with me, but you touch me and hug me and it makes me feel like I'm really a part of you."

"'At's because you are a part of me, Tiger. We're connected inside both of us where you don't really see it."

"I just can't lose you like I lost Ma and Pa. It scared me when they said you were lost."

Jess made a half silly, half serious face and lifted Mike's chin. "Ya, well it scared me, too! Out there with the wind and snow smothering me…but ya just learn to keep your head and work your way through these things. I knew I had you and Slim and Daisy back here pulling for me so that helped me focus past the storm and just knuckled down and put my head to work figuring a way how to get back here."

"I wish you and Slim didn't have to work and go away on trips." Mike mumbled looking back down again.

"That makes three of us, Mike." Slim offered with a smile and Daisy nodded her head in agreement.

"But if I hadn't gone to work, Tiger, I'da never found the mare and with her head all tangled in the rope, with the blizzard too, both her and the colt woulda died." Jess counseled again pulling Mike's chin back up with his index finger. "And she's the one that got me back here. Can't go through life afraid of all the things that might go wrong so you go hide in your bedroom."

Slim and Daisy looked at each other wondering how Jess knew Mike had done that.

"That's right, Mike." Slim added softly. "Life is there to be lived. If it's short, then it's short. If long, then long. Nobody knows how long any one of us will live. You just live what you get and try to learn the most you can and experience as much as possible."

" 'At's right, Tiger. Then you know when it's over you put everything you had in the game and you'll have no regrets." Jess added.

Mike finally looked into Jess' face and held a gaze for several minutes while thinking hard on something and Jess put his left hand on Mike's shoulder and stroked his cheek with his thumb.

"Living and doing things together is what makes life and memories and how we become part of each other, Tiger. Like you did with your folks when they were alive."

"Like you've done with us since coming here to live." Slim added. "So we just enjoy what we have, make memories together and that is truly what makes Christmas so special…just being together."

"Making memories like watching a colt get born." Tiger added as his attitude began to climb again as he began getting his priorities lined up properly. "Never seen a horse being born before."

"Me either!" Daisy chimed in.

"Right. It's rare to get to watch a horse being born, too. Wild or tame mares have their babies in secret because in the wild they have to or the baby horse gets murdered by other wild animals. So you got to see the miracle, even more that she's a wild mare in a tame barn. You'll always remember this Christmas, Tiger. Not because of the presents which are great and fine. But you'll outgrow the clothes and the toys will eventually break or you'll get bored with them and move on." Jess added.

"But I'll always remember you doing your job taking the stage out in a blizzard but then rescuing the mare so she could have her baby here on Christmas day." Mike added.

"Now you got it." Jess smiled and they exchanged another, quicker hug. "Just think how even finding a pregnant wild mare tied up with a broken rope near the top of a mountain pass is. Lots of things can happen when you explore life while doing what you're responsible for doing. I think you've found the real present in Christmas, Tiger."

"Me, too and I really love it!" Mike piped.

Jess looked over at Slim, "Something about 'belonging' and putting down good fence posts."

Slim just smiled and his sky blue eyes twinkled.

"Anybody ready for some dessert? I made Figgie pudding." Daisy announced cheerily.

Mike leaned forward and whispered in Jess' ear. "What's Figee pudding?"

Jess leaned into Mike's ear and replied, "I don't know." Then he pulled back and put his finger over his lips and gestured zipping them closed and gestured to Daisy's back as she left the room. They both chuckled.

"Sure, I'm ready. What's Figgie pudding, Daisy?" Slim asked while clearing his lap of Christmas gifts and walked up behind Mike still sitting backward on Jess' lap. To help him off without jabbing Jess' sore spots Slim plucked Mike up by his waist and laid him over his shoulder like a bag of oats and Mike giggled and Slim rolled him up to sit on his shoulders with his legs hanging down in front. With his other hand Slim offered it to Jess to pull himself up to a stand who groaned stiffly as he tried to pull his sore self out of the comfortable rocker.

"I made some egg nog, too." Daisy's voice floated back toward them from the kitchen.

Looking up at Slim's face and ducking Mike's waving feet, "Wonder what your coffee tastes like with egg nog as a creamer?" Jess commented as he tripped over his toe and slid into his chair at the table.

"You know what Feegee pudding is?" Slim whispered to Jess.

"Never heard of it." Jess whispered back. "Just hope there ain't no grapefruits in it."

"Merry Christmas. 2018".

[RF1]


End file.
